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Argentina vs. England! Still Malbec wines vs. sparklings in the second semi-final of the World Cup

Published: 15.07.2026

Ivo Kozarčanin
Ivo Kozarčanin
Bakhov Sin

Mauricio Lorca from Argentina's Uco wine valley called his 2023 Malbec poetic. It is not poetic only because of the last name, which the winemaker shares with the famous Spanish poet. That Argentinian wine won gold at The Global Malbec Masters organized last fall in England...

Spain dismantled France in the first semi-final of the World Cup, and Tempranillo defeated Pinot Noir in a fictitious wine match conceived by Pro Wine. A clean 2:0 doesn't even show how much better my beloved variety from the north of the Iberian Peninsula performed than my favorite from eastern France 

Lionel-Messi
Lionel Messi...
Harry-Kane
... i Harry Kane

In the second semi-final, Argentina and England will play on the grass field. Lionel Messi against Harry Kane, and in the wine competition, the sumptuous Argentine Malbec wines will face off against serious English sparklings. Malbec is a variety that was used in Bordeaux as a spice in the usual blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, but it was only in Argentina that it emerged as the main actor.

 

The grapes cannot be overripe

On the other hand, sensational is the classic Champagne trio in the English sparkling wines. The vineyards grow on almost the same soil as in Champagne, and the climate is gentle, to say the least, so the grapes cannot overripe. Moreover, it is natural for them to stop ripening at the time when it is best for the production of sparkling wines. It is clear that this is why the varieties are the same as in Champagne.

Malbec-Lorca
Malbec from Argentina...
Nyetimber-galerija
,,, and England's sparkling wines

It is a classic trio in which Chardonnay provides freshness and citrus notes, Pinot Noir structure and red fruit aromas and Pinot Meunier body and floral aromas. Pinot Noir Précoce, a mutant that bears fruit even earlier than classic Pinot Noir, and Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris are also allowed.

 

Wizard vs. Machine

The diminutive football wizard Lionel Messi will be pitted against the robust goal-scoring machine Harry Kane. There will certainly be no shortage of passion because, it should be remembered, Argentina and England fought a three-month war in 1982 over the Falklands or Maldives. islands in the Atlantic Ocean remained under the Crown, and the only change was that 904 soldiers died. Among them was a Croatian: Daniel Antonio Jukić, the pilot of a downed British Harrier attack aircraft.